most protected fighters of all time....

Floyd Patterson
Manuel Carrasco

Woller

 

I can see a case for Patterson or Carrasco to be made....but Woller?:think i'd like to know where you're coming from with this

 

Mr. M, actually I was going by the letter of the subject, which was "leading up to his title shot". So, removing Frazier, Norton and Roman (you're correct, he was a bum) from his record, he was 37-0 going into his title fight and in that time fought clubfighters Cookie Wallace, Chuck Wepner and Jack O'Halloran. Prospect Boone Kirkman and ex-contenders George Chuvalo and Greg Peralta. It wasn't George, it was Dick Sadler shielding him from the Quarry's, Bonavena's, Foster's, etc.

 

Nightcrawler, I agree DeLaHoya's record as a whole is phenominal. It's a who's who of world-class fighters. But again, to the letter of the subject, "leading up to his title-shot" I think Oscar was very protected and well into his lightweight title reign, let alone his Jr. Lightweight title reign. When he was Jr.Lightweight champion I wanted to see him fight Paez, Hernandez, Leija and Molina and he did. But not until he was at 135 and they were still rated 130 lbers. The only legit, decent lightweights he fought were Ruelas and Carl Griffith. I didn't really start accepting Oscar until about the Daryl Tyson fight. It was only then I felt he was starting to fight competitive fights.

 

true true. i keep forgetting it's on the way to the title shot. the junior lightweight title is a joke and he was matched...well after he moved up to 135. his competition was better but as you stated, he enjoyed massive size advantages over many of them

 

A slight case can be made for Roy Jones.

He never fought Darius Michalczewski or Graciano Rocchigiani who top light heavy contenders.

I would add Delahoya. Mostly because of how he avoided rematches with Quartey, and Whitaker. Also, he got a nice gift from the judges against Felix Sturm.

 

Sorry,

I missed the part in the opening of the thread which clearly said " on their way up"... Guess I need to read more carefully.

 

ODLH also got robbed against Trinidad and has a great resume overall as far as the fights he did have. Ultimately Oscar wasn't protected.

 

Young Stribling.....

He is underrated, but his record is very padded, no doubt......

 

Sean O'Grady (aside to his loss to Little Red) prior to his fight with Watt in Glasgow?

Gerry Cooney (prior to Holmes).

Frank Bruno?

 

FREDDIE MILLS

8 years NEVER once defended his British L-HW title, 1942 - 50, war finished in 45!!!

how was he allowed a world title fight in spite of this??? :think

 

Y'know, Vic, it's funny how there are places I almost fear to tread, but since you broght up a ring great like Stribling I'll mention another. Freddie Steele, who I rate very high and fought some great fighters had something like 90 6 rounders. What was that about? Perhaps since he was so young when he turned pro there may have been a rule against 10 rounders until you were a certain age in Seattle.

Scartissue